Kate Nash’s No DAPL Letter to President Obama Signed By JoJo, Sia + More

The protests at the site of the Dakota Access Pipeline construction continue, as thousands of people — including Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, a group of 2,000 U.S. military veterans who arrived in North Dakota to protect the Standing Rock Sioux and their allies from police force — remain opposed to the potentially water safety-threatening crude oil pipeline. Dozens of celebrities including Katy Perry, Jane Fonda and rapper Vic Mensa, who joined the protest this week, have shown their support, and now singer-songwriter Kate Nash has urged President Obama to act against the DAPL in an open letter signed by over 100 fellow musicians including Sia, Paramore's Hayley Williams, JoJo and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong.

"We are deeply disturbed by the police actions that have been taking place, where non-violent protests have been and continue to be met with extremely aggressive tactics including; being shot with water cannons in below-freezing temperatures, chemical weapons, rubber bullets and attack dogs," Nash wrote, referring to disturbing images emerging online of injured protestors on site in North Dakota. "These are the same inhumane methods used during WWII and the civil rights movement."

Nash and the cosignees urged Obama to take action against the in-progress project, and to "revoke the permits, remove the DAPL construction workers, and order a full environmental impact statement in formal consultation with impacted tribal governments."

Sia and JoJo were among those who tweeted the support on December 2. See the full letter to President Obama below, and read an interview about Kate Nash's Standing Rock stand at Noisey.

Read Kate Nash's Full Letter Regarding Dakota Access Pipeline:

Dear President Obama, Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Justice,

We are writing to express our shock at the treatment of the people of Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota. We are deeply disturbed by the police actions that have been taking place, where non violent protests have been and continue to be met with extremely aggressive tactics including; being shot with water canons in below freezing temperatures, chemical weapons, rubber bullets, and attack dogs. These are the same inhumane methods used during WWII and the Civil Rights Movement.

We feel strongly in the current political climate that those in power must be held accountable for their actions. We stand behind and urge you to take action regarding the following requests made in the coalition statement released on November 27th, 2016:

"We call on the White House to deny the easement now, revoke the permits, remove the DAPL construction workers, and order a full environmental impact statement in formal consultation with impacted tribal governments. Put an end to the violence."

We encourage you to remember that this planet provides for us, not the other way around. Water is life and this cannot be underestimated or taken for granted in 2016.

We are aware of the long and painful history between the US and its indigenous people. Know that the world’s eyes and the eyes of the music community are on you now as you continue to disregard the treaties you have with the Native American people and act barbarically towards them.